A loosely-linked science fiction series by Creator/VernorVinge, consisting of ''The Peace War'', ''The Ungoverned'', and ''Marooned in Realtime''. ''Across Realtime'' is the title of the omnibus edition containing ''The Peace War'' and ''Marooned in Realtime'' (the 1991 re-issue also contains ''The Ungoverned'').

The major initial technology change is the invention of the Bobble, a projected sphere that completely separates the inside from the outside. This is initially believed to be permanent and lead to whoever is inside dying when the oxygen runs out. The discoverers of the Bobble form the "Peace Authority" and take over political power, Bobbling all who oppose them and enforcing an end to war (and any technological progress that might threaten their superiority).

''The Peace War'' is set when the first generation of Bobbles begin to burst, their true nature is revealed, and the Authority's grip on power begins to fail.

''The Ungoverned''[[note]]full text available on [[http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/1416520724/1416520724___4.htm Baen Books]][[/note]] is set some decades later, and involves an attempt by the Republic of New Mexico (one of many independent nations in what used to be the USA) to invade the "ungoverned" lands to its north. Bobble technology has become widespread and [[MundaneUtility developed everyday uses]], some of which are described or demonstrated.

''Marooned in Realtime'' is set after a singularity that removed the majority of the human population. Only those who were in stasis during the singularity (including characters from both ''The Peace War'' and ''The Ungoverned'') remain. Those who come out of stasis are slowly rounded up and brought to a meeting point further down the timeline. During one move a leader of the colony is stranded outside stasis, starting a murder/mystery investigation to discover who did it and why.

!!This series provides examples of:

* ApocalypseNot: WorldWarThree turned the entire planet into a TerminallyDependentSociety under the Peace Authority, and the "Peace War" almost ended in [[spoiler:the Peace sterilizing the entire planet while they hid in Bobbles.]] Twenty years later, there were trailer parks on the moon.* CompoundInterestTimeTravelGambit: In ''Marooned in Realtime'', two of the characters are brothers who went into stasis as part of one of these, and woke to find that the Singularity had happened and there were no longer any banks.* CrazySurvivalist: Jake Schwartz in ''The Ungoverned'', a farmer who "went armadillo" and has spent the last three years stockpiling as much military-grade firepower as possible.* DeflectorShields: Bobbles can function as these.* DividedStatesOfAmerica: In ''The Ungoverned''.* DyingClue: ''Marooned in Realtime'' features possibly the most epic case of "murder victim writes cryptic final message" in the entire history of detective fiction. The murderer uses a uniquely science-fictional murder weapon that results in a ''three-decades long'', lingering death ''of old age'' for the victim, so she has time to write a final message over ''two million words'' long -- but the important bit is still so cryptic only one man could see it - and it's ''not'' her lover. This is because [[spoiler:the murderer is ''watching'' her the entire time, and would have destroyed anything that looked like a clue to his identity.]]* EnforcedTechnologyLevels: The Peace Authority prevents anyone save themselves from using nuclear power, and puts a similar amount of effort into policing biotech. Supposedly this to prevent nuclear and biological warfare, but it also creates a TerminallyDependentSociety that relies on the Peace for electricity and medicine - and it's all but stated that the Peace actually ''started'' WorldWarThree specifically to destroy their competition.* EveryoneIsASuspect: ''Marooned in Realtime'' uses this extensively.* FeudalFuture: The Peacers enforced one by blaming industrial civilization for nuclear warfare.* HurlItIntoTheSun: Brought up as one way to kill a person who's Bobbled themself for protection. Even that won't break through the Bobble -- but the Bobble's got to pop some time...* InterfaceWithAFamiliarFace: In ''The Peace War'', Paul Naismith has given his house AI the face and voice of his old girlfriend, who was the first opponent of the Peace Authority to be Bobbled.* InvisibleAliens: ''Marooned in Realtime'' suggests that when species attain TheSingularity, they uniformly vanish from the universe, at least from the perspective of everyone else.* LateArrivalSpoiler: The true nature of the Bobbles is a big plot twist in ''The Peace War'', but it's almost impossible to talk about the series as a whole (and especially ''Marooned in Realtime'') without it.* LawEnforcementInc: ''Marooned in Realtime'' suggests that by the late 21st century, governments have essentially given way to protection companies. ''The Ungoverned'' shows them in operation, and suggests that from the perspective of a protection company, a national government in war mode is just another crime gang to be dealt with the same way as any other.* NoDoubtTheYearsHaveChangedMe: A villainous example, at the climax of ''Marooned in Realtime''.* OldMaster: Paul Hoehler/Naismith in ''The Peace War''; remarkable in that he really is ''old'', with all the drawbacks that come with advanced age.* OneRiotOneRanger: When the invasion starts in ''The Ungoverned'', local law enforcement sends a request up the line for an army to come fight it. What they get is Wil Brierson.* OneSteveLimit: ''Marooned in Realtime'' has multiple characters named in honour of the hero of ''The Peace War'', but it still fits this trope because they each prefer a different way of abbreviating it from each other and from the original.* OrionDrive: In ''Marooned in Realtime'', Della's ship has one; bobble technology makes this method of travel safe.* PostCyberPunk: ''The Peace War''* RagnarokProofing: Averted in ''Marooned in Realtime'', where the realistic lack of this is a plot point.* LaResistance: The Tinkers in ''The Peace War''.* {{Roboteching}}: In ''The Peace War'', the Tinkers have come up with smart bullets that can be fired from a ''machine pistol''. Lock in your targets, blind-fire one burst in their general direction - ''and twenty Technology Gestapo hit the ground minus their heads!''* ShroudedInMyth: Wil Brierson gets a bit of this in ''Marooned in Realtime'' regarding his detective abilities. Early in his career he shut down Humanity's last major government for war crimes, and after he was forcibly bobbled his son dealt with his loss by writing a series of acclaimed detective novels starring a version of him that captured his assailant [[WhatCouldHaveBeen before he could bobble him]]. As a result, all of humanity thinks of him as a RealLife Franchise/SherlockHolmes. Luckily, he ''is'' pretty damned good, [[spoiler:managing to save Humanity from its last surviving dictator ''as a side note'' to finding humanity's last murderer.]]* TheSingularity: Popularized in ''Marooned in Realtime''.* SleptThroughTheApocalypse: All the characters in ''Marooned in Realtime''.* TheSlowPath: What the title of ''Marooned in Realtime'' refers to.* SmartPeoplePlayChess: The genius hero of ''The Peace War'' plays chess in competition.* SphereOfDestruction: The effect of using a Bobble as a weapon.* SummationGathering: At the climax of ''Marooned in Realtime'', complete with ConversationalTroping.* SuperweaponSurprise: Kansans in ''The Ungoverned'' use Bobble devices on remote-operated rockets to destabilize tornadoes before they form, and a one-tonne rocket turns out to also make a decent guided missile...* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: The Peacers of ''The Peace War'' have created a world without armed conflict -- at the cost of most of the world's population, all strong governments (save themselves), and ''[[FeudalFuture industrialized civilization.]]''** Their response to [[spoiler:losing to the Tinkers is especially grotesque; "Operation Renaissance" - mine the San Fernando Valley with ''nuclear weapons'', bobble up their facilities and a number of civilians for breeding stock, then blow everything to hell. Della Lu, who up to that point was a dedicated tech cop and relentless killer, balks at this and simply knocks the trigger for the mines out of her boss' hand and bobbles without firing the nukes.]]* WeWillHavePerfectHealthInTheFuture: ''Marooned in Realtime'' has people in the far future with the medical technology to eliminate all disease and aging -- but what if you outlive the civilisation?* WellIntentionedExtremist:** Hamilton Avery in ''The Peace War''.** In ''Marooned in Realtime'', Della (initially).----